Who Knows What Could Happen?
by R.H. Black
Summary: Four days after the attack on Hayate by Baki, Genma sits. And waits. For Hayate to wake up... Shounen-Ai. Very sad.


**I wrote this song while listening to 'Slipped Away' by Avril Lavigne, and 'My Immortal' by Evanescence **

**P.S.: this takes place right after Hayate and Baki meet up, but Hayate is found alive right after and is rushed to the ER. Takes place four days after he is rushed to the hospital. Written from Genma's perspective.**

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It really is a cure to know that the person you love is dying. The steady beat of the EKG isn't a calming one, and each one of the green peaks seemed to get smaller, even though I know that if I turn away for a moment, the illusion will stop. Your lips are slightly parted, and your hair is messy, hanging in front of your eyes. Normally, you would be peacefully asleep, but not tonight.

Tonight your lips are pale, and your hands are loose and lifeless. They took off your bandanna, and they hooked you up to an IV. I find myself not looking at your face, not because I don't want to see you, I just don't want to see you in this state. When they took off you jacket... the blood, oh god the blood. It was all over the floor, and your body, and me. I carried you here. I cried as I washed it off, knowing that this shouldn't have happened.

I never kissed you. I never told you how I really feel about you.

"You better hold on Hayate, or I'll never forgive you." I whisper into the darkness, illuminated by the monitors light. It's hard to keep myself from crying, but I won't. Not here, I'll be strong for both of us. I won't let anyone take you away from me.

I fix a dip in the sheets that cover you. You're almost the same color as the white linens, and the heat is up in the room. So cold... you're so cold. The medics say that you'll have a scar across your chest. They keep saying if you wake up. No one says when. Why can't they just say _when_?

You will wake up, won't you? Please, Hayate... Just wake up...

A rap at the door.

"Genma? Hey buddy... how you holding up?" Izumo and Kotetsu walk through the door. There's not laughing, play-slapping, or smiling. I just... I want it to the way it was before...

"G- good..." My voice cracked. I'm not sure what time it is. They share a glance, and Kotetsu hands me something.

"Um... It's soup. From the cafeteria. We thought... you might be hunger. And need some company." Izumo looked at Hayate's body. Sill unmoving. Still sleeping. Still... still.

"How's he holding up?" The EKG is still weak. I'm no medic... but the beep of a pulse take so long to happen.

"I don't know... I just... I hope that..." I buried my face in my hands. I could'nt cry here. Not in front of you, Hayate. I promised to be strong. I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders, and another around my waist. I looked up and saw my friends awkwardly hugging me. "G- guys?"

"Hayate is our friend too. But we know how you felt about him... Genma, you have every right to feel this way." I shook my head back and forth.

"No no... I have to be strong for both of us..." My head hurt, and my mouth was dry. I hadn't been chewing on a senbon since the accident. It felt strange. It wouldn't stay in my mouth, it would fall out. I couldn't keep it...

Do I get to keep you though? I don't think I would be fair if you passed... do you?

Izumo and Kotetsu looked at each other sadly, leaning in to whisper. I couldn't hear what they were saying.

The EKG beeped, but not like it does when it counts a heartbeat. It made this desperate noise. Something sad and pathetic, and in that moment, I knew. Oh... I knew. And I settled like tar on my heart.

"Get a medic! Now!" I jumped to my feet, gripping your shoulders. "I won't let you die!"

There. I said it. Die. The word I've been avoiding, hiding from. I said it. The thing that I was most afraid of admitting, of realizing and I said it first.

I ran from the room, down the hall. Screaming for a medic. They came, of course, chakra in hand. But the thing is, when they got there. There was no 'beep-beep-beep' of the EKG. There was one long one. A final crescendo to the morbid symphony that had been playing for the past few days. My heart stopped as the medics pushed past me, as they pressed their chakra-soaked hands to your chest and pushed, forcing air and life back into you.

I cried then. I didn't notice at first, but then I felt the warm tears fall into my open mouth. The salty taste brought me out of my haze.

And I stood there, breaking slowly into smaller and smaller pieces as the medic swore, and made hand seals, and used scrolls and shots and all sorts of things and the EKG didn't change. It was taunting us slowly as you were dying... wait. no.

As you died...

Your funeral was nice. Lots of people showed up to say goodbye one last time.

But that was months ago, and I'm still saying goodbye. You're not gone to me, I still feel you here.

I kept your sword and you forehead protector. I hope you don't mind, but I just wanted something to remember you by. Oh, your bandana too. I wear this one now, not my old one.

We cleaned out your apartment. I never knew you had so many pictures of me. I cried again when I saw that one of us after you became a chunin.

And I never knew that you kept a journal. It's funny because you grilled Raidou for having one. Said it was girly. I read it. I hope you don't mind. And I'm glad I read it, although it hurts twice as much now.

Now that I know you loved me.

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**Okay. R&R. I know it was sad, I nearly cried _writing _the thing. But I like sad stories sometimes... y'know?**

**To my readers: I give you a challenge! Write a sad, soft story of your favorite Naruto character dying. Make it romantic, or a suicide, or perhaps they get fatally wounded on a mission? Write is so it's not violent, but so it's a tearjerker. Make them as long or as short as you would like! And tell me when your done! I'd love to read them!**


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